My Amazon Reviews: Neon Trees "Picture Show"

The record that I play
4 Out Of 5 Stars

The second album from Neon Trees combines power-pop with the kind of emo-rock that Fall Out Boy specialized in. The result is a fairly cool mix of infectious tunes that punch, with slick pop that captured radio's ear ("Everybody Talks"). But fans of the hit should be warned, there's not much else similar on "Picture Show." They rock harder than they pop. They even call one of their better songs "Teenaged Sounds," which sums up their approach almost as well as anything I could say about them.

This Utah quartet are all teenage angst and new wave fascination. "We're sick of everybody trying to be famous" they wail, just before making a Beatles/Bowie vocal climb into their hit. There's a lot of wanting it both ways, especially in the dancier tracks like the New Order-ish "Lessons In Love" and "Trust," or the sweet vocal interplay between lead vocalist Tyler Glenn and drummer Elaine Bradley that makes "Mad Love" into ridiculously catchy pop. There's also a tendency to aim for more that just quick hit ditties, with "Trust" pushing past the six minute mark.

Much like The Killers (whom Neon Trees has toured with), there's a real effort to do more then emulate the 80's sounds they clearly love with the whammy of a modern rock band. They may not have reached the level of Springsteen worship The Killers have (nor do they seem to want to), yet with several undeniably catchy songs and some snapping rock ("I Am The DJ" and "Moving in The Dark," "Picture Show's" bookends), they've earned the right to say that there's no sophomore slump in their discography.

     

My Amazon Reviews: The Killers "Battle Born"

To The Battle Born,
4 Out Of 5 Stars

The Killers are attention hounds. Especially lead singer Brandon Flowers. From every over-emoted vocal, to all the Springsteenian attempts at epic teenaged dramas, and from guitarist Dave Keuning's stadium ready guitars, The Killers playtheir music to a bog coliseum. They even shot for an REO Speedwagon ballad on "Here With Me" (hey, the opening line "Wheels Are Turning" was the title to an REO album.) So if you're a bit put off by grandiose overreaching, "Battle Born" probably isn't an album for you.

On the other hand, I consider "Sam's Town" to be an amazing album, and "Battle Born" is more in that vein than the art poppish "Day and Age." And just like "Sam's Town," the results are either gloriously grand ("Runaways") or a touch too much ("Miss Atomic Bomb"). That's only because The Killers refuse to let ambition hold them back, so amidst the big USA songs the heed from NJ via NV to the 80's synths in "Flesh and Bone" or "The Rising Tide," "Battle Born" wears its Las Vegas heart on its snazzy sleeve. You'll find few better rock albums this year than "Battle Born."

     

My Amazon Reviews: Brandon Flowers "Flamingo"

The House Will Always Win 
 4 Out of 5 Stars 

The ever ambitious Brandon Flowers takes the time that The Killers are on break from making music to...make music. "Flamingo," like the Springsteen influenced "Sam's Town," is another ode to Las Vegas, except this time, Flowers decides to run stylistically amok. Surprisingly enough, it works. I've come to enjoy "Flamingo" more than I did The Killers' "Day and Age."

Once again, Flowers is feeling is inner Bruce, but it seems more tempered this time. The duet with Jenny Lewis on "Hard Enough" has a softer core than most of The Killers' best songs yet rates right up there with the band for emotional impact. I suspect producer Daniel Lanois' touch in the more atmospheric sound, as Flowers allows the songs to breathe on their own. Not that Flowers resists the urge to rock; both "Crossfire" and "Was It Something I Said" could easily have been Killers songs.

What one can hope for from "Flamingo" is that maybe some of what Flowers has picked up will rub off on his regular band; I'd love to hear them take on the slow-burn build-up of a song like "Jilted Lovers and Broken Hearts." Or maybe see if The Killers could take on something as tempered as "Playing With Fire." A pleasant surprise overall, "Flamingo" reinforces the notion that Flowers is a serious talent with ambition to burn.